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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · band · toast · swing · wind · bear

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. band — a ring
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mate — a partner
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wind — moving air
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. swing — music
  16. mate — to breed
  17. toast — bread
  18. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com